Schedule of Services
Read about coming services and browse the list of past services. Many of the past services have the text or audio of the sermon.
- Sections On Page
Coming Services
As of September 06, 2010, the following services are planned.
The subject, presentation, and speakers of BRUU services can vary quite a bit. Be sure to attend many services to get a true sense of the variety.
Ingathering and Water Communion
- Date
- Sunday, September 12, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Note
- Water Communion Service. We’ll also celebrate the dedication of Jackson Cooper.
- Description
- The pace of our church life tends to move from Fall to Fall rather than shift upon the turning of the New Year. Here we stand at the beginning of another fall together. We’ll have our annual ingathering and water communion service. Don’t forget to bring water with you as a symbol of your interconnection to the BRUU community.
"Creating Change"
- Date
- Sunday, September 19, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Coming off a summer of protests and political infighting over immigration, religious liberty and other issues, we’ll look at the long UU heritage of civil disobedience. Is this the best way to make change? What are our primary tools for change and what really works?
"The Pale Blue Dot"
- Date
- Sunday, September 26, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Bruce Roemmelt
- Description
- An amateur astronomer has lots of choices to make about what he looks at/listens to in the universe, just as we all have the choices about what we do at BRUU. The sermon will include some reflections on a UU predecessor who discovered a comet and try to put in perspective where we are in the universe (and within the BRUU community). We will discuss our significance/insignificance living our brief lives on this rocky bit in our little outpost in the Milky Way. Bruce will share some pictures he’s taken of solar system objects, and some Hubble astro photography as well. There will be a homework assignment.
"The Inverse Power of Praise"
- Date
- Sunday, October 3, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Recent studies in child development show that young children actually respond negatively to excessive non-specific praise like “aren’t you smart,” or “you’re so special.” How do we, as individuals and congregations, both crave this kind of praise and find ourselves spiritually bereft from searching for it. We’ll also have a ceremony of dedication for our religious education teachers.
- Sections On Page
Past Sermons
Listed below are descriptions of many past services. We provide the text and audio for some services as marked.
- To read the text, click on the service title link. Only the underlined service titles are linked to a transcript.
- To listen, click on the audio icon.
As we transition to our new Web site, we will add more and more of the earlier services and their sermons, both written and audio.
We "podcast" the sermons. If you want to subscribe, read our Communication page.
"Ready for the Feast"
- Date
- Sunday, September 5, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Note
- Part One of the "Stories That Make No Sense" Sermon Series
- Description
- In one the parables of Jesus, everyone is invited to a banquet, only to be kicked out if they didn't come properly dressed. In this first of several-part series on stories from various religious traditions that surprise and confuse us with their twists, we'll look at how ready we are for the feast laid out before us.
Coming of Age Service
- Date
- Sunday, August 29, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd, Chris McCann, and Coming of Age Class
- Description
- Come join us for this annual reflection on growth, change and the developing personal theologies of our BRUU Coming of Agers, who have just come back from their annual summer retreat.
"You Begin"
- Date
- Sunday, August 22, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- How do we begin a journey of a thousand miles. The old cliché has it right — with one step. How do we begin to face down our challenges? With the recognition of one thing worth changing for, or maybe just one thing worth living for.
"To Call Ourselves Beloved"
- Date
- Sunday, August 15, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Raymond Carver wrote a little poem that said, “Did you get what you wanted in this life… to call myself beloved, to feel myself beloved upon the earth.” We‘ll look at the whole idea of “beloved community,” and what it might take to truly call ourselves beloved.
"Medicate or Meditate"
- Date
- Sunday, August 8, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Kate Granville
"Pronoia"
- Date
- Sunday, August 1, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Star Muir
- Description
- Pronoia is the suspicion that millions of people and the universe are conspiring to do good things for you. Come enjoy Ron Brezsny’s uplifting and zany philosophy, and prepare to leave as a well adjusted pronoid.
John Werntz and the Dignitarians
- Date
- Sunday, July 25, 2010, 10:00AM
How does creativity affect how we interact with the world?
- Date
- Sunday, July 18, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- BRUU Writer's Group with Katherine Gotthardt
Journeys
- Date
- Sunday, July 11, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Kate Granville, Wyatt Hamrick, and Cheryl Cockerill
UUs in US History
- Date
- Sunday, July 4, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Martin Crim
"The Troubled Legacy"
- Date
- Sunday, June 27, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- It’s been several years now since Prince William County served as a flash-point of controversy regarding local enforcement of federal immigration law. This sermon will not make a political statement about Arizona or anywhere else. Instead, we’ll look at the impact that controversy had and continues to have on the spiritual and communal life of our county.
"Gratitude"
- Date
- Sunday, June 20, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- There is an essential posture toward the world and everything in it that lies at the core of every faith tradition. It may be that, underneath it all, the attitude we must take upon ourselves as religious liberals is gratitude.
"Behold Your Music: Creation According to Tolkien"
- Date
- Sunday, June 13, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Annease Hastings and the BRUU Adult Choir
- Note
- Choir Service
- Description
- Continuing our exploration of different creation myths, this service will be based on the first chapter of The Silmarillion, which describes how the world was created by music. This is an all music service presented by the adult choir.
"A Community of Learners," an Intergenerational celebration of Religious Education
- Date
- Sunday, June 6, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd, Chris McCann, and others
- Description
- Religious education isn’t the work of just the children and youth in the church school. It’s a task that we all share. How does lifelong learning promise to transform us? Are you open to that transformation?
"Reflections on Courage"
- Date
- Sunday, May 30, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- BRUU Members
- Description
- This Memorial Day weekend, several BRUU members will reflect on what courage means to them and how they have experienced the courage of others in their lives.
Bridging Ceremony
- Date
- Sunday, May 23, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd and Bridging Youth
- Description
- This annual service celebrates the unique contributions, journeys, and perspectives of our graduating youth as they move on to the next adventures of their lives. Come celebrate with the youth and their families as we honor them and send them on with love.
"The Beginning of All Things"
- Date
- Sunday, May 16, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- This final component of our many-part sermon series on creation stories will focus on the Big Bang, looking at the scientific wonder behind the origins of the universe, and at all the things we do not know.
"Raising Unitarian Universalists"
- Date
- Sunday, May 9, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- The auction winners, Jenna and Mike Cooper, are expecting their second little UU quite soon. We’ll reflect in this service on the task that lies ahead, and all of us, as we together commit to nurturing this generation of Unitarian Universalists.
"The Ocean is the Beginning": A Maidu Native American Creation Story
- Date
- Sunday, May 2, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- This continuation of our creation myth series tells of a great sea-turtle who brings up the first bits of earth between his scaly toes. All of creation extends from the first thing to float upon the waters, which is not a boat, but an animal.
"Come Together for the Earth"
- Date
- Sunday, April 25, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Green Sanctuary Committee
- Note
- Join us for the Green Sanctuary Earth Day Service
- Description
- This service is about bridging our differences that impede environmental and social progress.
"Transformation"
- Date
- Sunday, April 18, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- In this abundant season of rapid change, our theme for the month is transformation. How is transformation working in your life? Do you welcome it or is it just a little bit scary? Maybe both?
"How Sweet It Is": Stewardship Sunday
- Date
- Sunday, April 11, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- The annual Sermon on the Amount invites us to consider how we support the work of the congregation and community. How sweet it is to be a part of BRUU!
Flower Communion: An Intergenerational Easter Celebration
- Date
- Sunday, April 4, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd & BRUU Choirs
- Description
- This music-filled service will celebrate the transformations of the season. We’ll include child dedications in this service for all ages. Remember to bring a flower to share.
"The (He)Art of Transitions," The BRUU Mime Service
- Date
- Sunday, March 28, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- The BRUU Mime Troupe
- Description
- Please join us for a service on navigating transitions throughout life. Featuring sketches, music, and of course art, the mimes offer their very own picture of a life of change, and how we can bring our own creativity to live those changes fully.
"Yearning for a Faraway Place"
- Date
- Sunday, March 21, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Sometimes we imagine that life is better just on the other side of the horizon. How can we find meaning and hope right here, in this place, even as we yearn for something more perfect?
"Evil"
- Date
- Sunday, March 14, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Drawing ideas from an essay I recently contributed to the book, “A People So Bold: Theology and Ministry for Unitarian Universalists,” we’ll look at how, historically, liberal religious folks have sometimes been relentlessly optimistic, even to a fault. How do religious liberals handle the problem of evil? Do we?
"Ready to Walk"
- Date
- Sunday, March 7, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Note
- We’ve re-scheduled this uplifting service from the great snowstorm in February. The youth choir has a rousing anthem and the sermon focuses on pilgrimage and the spiritual gifts of moving forward, one small step at a time.
- Description
- This is a service about walking, or at least about moving forward a little bit at a time. Able-bodied or differently-abled, walking forward both physically and spiritually can be an enriching.
BRUU Youth Service
- Date
- Sunday, February 28, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- BRUU Youth Group
- Description
- Join us for our annual BRUU Youth Sunday service. This worship promises to be creative, musical, and spiritually significant.
"In Praise of Offensive People"
- Date
- Sunday, February 21, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- I love people who offend me because they have the power to shake up my thinking and keep me on my toes. How can we, as a community, commit to being in relationship with one another even, perhaps especially, when we offend each other?
"Love"
- Date
- Sunday, February 14, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- To love is one of the most difficult things a human being can do, and yet love is the one thing that connects us to the deepest sources of meaning. How do you love and how are you striving to love more fully?
Canceled
- Date
- Sunday, February 7, 2010, 10:00AM
- Note
- Bad weather.
"Living Prayers"
- Date
- Sunday, January 31, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Erin Gingrich
- Note
- Erin Gingrich is in her fourth and final year of studies at Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago. She received preliminary fellowship as a minister within our movement this past fall and now is looking forward to being welcomed into the Unitarian Universalist ministry this summer during the Service of Living Tradition at General Assembly.
- Description
- Bad things do happen to good people. What does our Unitarian Universalist religious path offer us and have to say when this happens and our lives seem to fall apart? Please join us for this exploration of the theological and pragmatic depths of our tradition.
TBD
- Date
- Sunday, January 24, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- George Glady and the worship committee
- Description
- Inuit ideas of the creation of the world.
"A Fearful Alchemy"
- Date
- Sunday, January 17, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- One abolitionist leader wrote that salve society had found “a fearful alchemy which transforms blood into gold.” How does oppression still give rise to profit? What answer can we give to such fearful alchemy?
"Justice"
- Date
- Sunday, January 10, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- The monthly theme for January is Justice. The prophet Amos famously wrote that “justice will flow down like waters and righteousness like an everflowing stream.” What does the concept of justice really mean to us? Do we want it to flow down like waters?
"Out of the Brokenness, the Beginning", Norse Creation Story
- Date
- Sunday, January 3, 2010, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- In Norse mythology, the world is formed through the tumultuous struggle of the gods — it is out of this struggle that all things begin. What might this tradition have to say about the world we live in?
Finding Our Way Together
- Date
- Sunday, December 27, 2009, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Janette and Star Muir
- Description
- What does it mean to be an inclusive religion? If it is less important what we believe and more important how we are together, then how are we together? What do we get and what do we give or give up for BRUU? How can we move forward as an intentional community? The annual “disposing” of negative thoughts and actions will take place so we can move forward and embrace possibility together.
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service.
- Date
- Thursday, December 24, 2009, 7:00PM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- This traditional evening service will offer a fun retelling of the Christmas story, classic caroling, and singing of silent night to the littlest members of our congregation.
Story Shaped
- Date
- Sunday, December 13, 2009, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- One of our bridging youths said that she liked for things, including religion, to be “story shaped.” What stories give shape to your life? Are there stories about yourself that you wish you could stop telling? New stories you’d like to write?
Emptiness
- Date
- Sunday, December 6, 2009, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- This is our monthly theme for December. We’ll look at the spaces between our busyness. Of course, the holiday season can be full of activity, but when and how must there be emptiness in our lives that makes room for something sacred?
Feeding the 5000
- Date
- Sunday, November 29, 2009, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- This Thanksgiving season, when some of us will be packing crowds around the dinner table, we may sometimes feel like we are dividing what we have among the multitudes. We’ll look at what this story about Jesus and his disciples from the Gospel of Matthew has to say to us.
Divine Play: A Hindu Creation Story
- Date
- Sunday, November 22, 2009, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Note
- Part Two of the "Creation Stories" Sermon Series
- Description
- In this second of our “Creation Stories” series, we’ll look at the Hindu understanding of “lila” or divine play. Playing is a creative process, and in many Hindu creation stories, the gods are busily playing at the creation of the world.
Hymns of Praise
- Date
- Sunday, November 15, 2009, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- The BRUU Writer’s Group and others
- Description
- What is truly praise-worthy in this world? Using poetry, personal writings, and collections from favorite authors, BRUU members will reflect on all that is worth celebrating.
Covenant
- Date
- Sunday, November 8, 2009, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- This is our monthly theme for November. People often say that we Unitarian Universalists come together not because of our shared beliefs, but because of a covenant we make with one another. We’ll explore this word, covenant and think about what it might mean for us.
Formed of Clay
- Date
- Sunday, November 1, 2009, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Note
- Part One of the "Creation Stories" Sermon Series
- Description
- One of the stories of creation in the Hebrew Scriptures talks of God scooping up a ball of clay and forming man and woman from it. What does this story have to teach us about who we are? About our connection to the earth?
Day of the Dead
- Date
- Sunday, October 25, 2009, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- This special participatory service will focus on remembering our friends and loved ones who have passed away. We remember those BRUU members who have died in the last year and honor all those who shaped our lives in the time we had with them.
Atonement
- Date
- Sunday, October 18, 2009, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- This second spiritual theme of the year will ask us to look at what it might mean to “get right,” with the world. Is it coincidence that the word “atonement” is could also be read “at-one-ment?”
… And There is The Sea
- Date
- Sunday, October 11, 2009, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Jack Young
- Description
- The transcendent can best be described on metaphorical terms. This sermon will explore the metaphor of the sea as an image and archetype of the eternal.
Entrances and Exits
- Date
- Sunday, October 4, 2009, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- What draws us into community like we have here at BRUU? The entrance signs over the doors welcome us in, but what are we to do once we have enjoyed that welcome and find ourselves drawn back out into the world?
Spiritual Hunger
- Date
- Sunday, September 27, 2009, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- What really feeds us when we are spiritually hungry? How do we even begin to admit that we are yearning to be filled?
International Day of Peace
- Date
- Sunday, September 20, 2009, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Larry Underwood
- Description
- A service on Peace will honor the International Day of Peace, September 23, with music and discussions on how to build peace in or lives, communities, and the world.
Building Our Connections
- Date
- Sunday, September 13, 2009, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd & BRUU Choirs
- Note
- Water Communion Service
- Description
- In this annual ingathering service, we’ll mingle waters from our homes and our travels as a reminder of the connections we build together. For this service, we’ve also partnered with another UU congregation, First Unitarian in Dallas, to remember that we are connected to our larger UU movement. Don’t forget to bring some water!
Dragged Kicking and Screaming into Heaven
- Date
- Sunday, September 6, 2009, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Mark Morrison-Reed
- Description
- As Mark summarizes it, early in the 19th century, Universalism swept across our young nation finding a popularity it never again achieved. Isn't it time for us to return to the message that God's love brooks no resistance and re-interpret it for the 21st century?
Aging Well
- Date
- Sunday, August 30, 2009, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Scott Alexander
- Note
- Our guest preacher is the Rev. Scott Alexander, minister of the River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Bethesda. Rev. Alexander is a widely respected leader in our movement and a vibrant preacher whom you won't want to miss. As this is a pulpit exchange, Rev. Nancy will be preaching at River Road.
- Description
- Ben Franklin once famously observed "In this world, nothing is certain but death and taxes," but that thought, of course, is not quite complete. The third thing that is certain in this life is the inexorable process of aging. Regardless of how young or old we are, all of us are slowly, steadily aging every day ... and it matters that all of us strive to age as well and gracefully as we can. Scientists can now tell us a great deal about successful aging, and we will review what they (and common sense) tell us.
Coming of Age
- Date
- Sunday, August 23, 2009, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- In this service, our Coming of Age youth will team up with Rev. Nancy to share some of their experiences at this vital stage in their lives.
Science and Religion
- Date
- Sunday, August 16, 2009, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Rick Flaherty and Larry Underwood
A Musical Journey of Spirit and Recovery
- Date
- Sunday, August 9, 2009, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Brooksie Wells
Painting Lilies
- Date
- Sunday, August 2, 2009, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- George Glady
- Description
- George Glady presents another look at a service given by Reverend Nancy McDonald-Ladd in 2004 at Reston.
Human Dignity
- Date
- Sunday, July 26, 2009, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Jill Grissom, Tom Drake, Mark Owens and John Werntz
- Description
- Musical Service
Satyagraha
- Date
- Sunday, July 19, 2009, 10:00AM
- Presenter
- Greg Greenway
- Description
- Greg will discuss Gandhi’s influence on Martin Luther King.
Religion without Belief
- Date
- Sunday, July 12, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Is belief really at the center or religion? Some contemporary theologians don’t think so. What if belief really isn’t a necessary pre-condition of religious living?
The Living Flag
- Date
- Sunday, July 5, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Starting with a classic story by Garrison Keillor, this Sunday’s service will look at the perspective we might gain if we could look from above at the moving, breathing, very human entity that is our community and our nation.
Human Topography: Walking the Peaks and Valleys of our Joys and Sorrows
- Date
- Sunday, June 28, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Rev. Tim Miner, OUnI., Interfaith Minister and member of BRUU
- Description
- Our joys and sorrows allow us the special times to minister to each other and provide the opportunity to grow together in community.
For Fathers Day
- Date
- Sunday, June 21, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd with Joe Jencks
- Description
- Nancy McDonald Ladd and folk singer extraordinaire Joe Jencks will team up once again to bring a creative and music-filled service to BRUU. The father’s day topic is currently in development, but you’ll definitely want to be here for Joe’s award-winning music.
"Faith as a Verb" Choir Service
- Date
- Sunday, June 14, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Annease Hastings and the Adult Choir
- Note
- Choir Service
- Description
- This is an all-music service.
Bridging
- Date
- Sunday, June 7, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd and Bridging Youth
- Note
- All Church Sunday
- Description
- This annual service celebrates the unique contributions, journeys and perspectives of our graduating youth as they move on to the next adventures of their lives. Come celebrate with the youth and their families as we honor them and send them on with love.
TBD
- Date
- Sunday, May 31, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- The BRUU Youth Group
- Note
- Youth Sunday
To Be Apart, Together
- Date
- Sunday, May 24, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- There are so many different kinds of families in our congregation, here between mother’s day and father’s day, we’ll look at the spiritual challenges and gifts faced by families who have found their way through divorce.
No-Fault Relationships
- Date
- Sunday, May 17, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- This auction sermon, purchased by Jan and John Butorac, will look at a wonderful tool they use in their own relationship – the “no-fault” clause. What if we were to live our lives without casting blame? What if we were to love one another without looking for one another’s faults?
Radical Mutuality
- Date
- Sunday, May 10, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- As a new mother herself, Rev. Nancy has a great many things to reflect on this mother’s day. We’ll look together at the concept of radical mutuality, not just for mothers and children, but for all of us.
All Are Anointed
- Date
- Sunday, May 3, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Note
- All Church Sunday
- Description
- Each year, the congregations across the country join together for Association Sunday, a time when we honor and support the work of our larger association. This year, our special collection will support the training of lay ministers. How are we called to support the ministry of each and every person?
One Wild and Precious Life
- Date
- Sunday, April 26, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- BRUU Members
- Description
- Poet Mary Oliver, in her work “The Summer Day,” asks the question, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life.” Come reflect with BRUU members of many ages as they answer this question in their own unique ways.
Ending the Age of Indulgence
- Date
- Sunday, April 19, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd and Brooksie Wells
- Description
- This Earth Day, the green team came up with wonderful sermon topics to help us reflect on our relationship to the earth. This one will look at how we can move from being primarily consumers of our earth to being a part of our interconnected web. Special music will come from Brooksie Wells.
The Story Didn't End
- Date
- Sunday, April 12, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Note
- Intergenerational Flower Communion
- Description
- Come enjoy this annual BRUU tradition, celebrating the renewal of spring and the rebirth that comes with Easter. Don’t forget to bring a flower to share. This service will also include child dedications.
In These Days
- Date
- Sunday, April 5, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- In the midst of the most profound financial crisis since the great depression, many of us are struggling to find meaning among all of the uncertainty. How can this become for us a time of both crisis and opportunity?
A Living Prayer
- Date
- Sunday, March 29, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Each day of life as a new mother is a new adventure, and each act (even the frustrating ones) becomes a prayer. How might our work and our lives become living prayers?
I'm Just a Lawyer
- Date
- Sunday, March 22, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Burt Miller
- Description
- Obtaining a law degree and practicing law was a dream come true; my highest aspiration. BRUU has affected my life, brought me love and companionship and a remarkable spiritual journey. Law pays my way.
Louisa May Alcott - Much more than "Little Women"
- Date
- Sunday, March 15, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Sheila School
- Description
- She was an early feminist, a Unitarian, wrote "potboiler novels" for popular newspapers to earn money for her impoverished family, , worked all her life for more opportunities for women in the workplace, and ruined her health working as a Civil War nurse. Alcott was the daughter of parents who were abolitionists and who believed in educational and social reform. Louisa grew up among the greats of the New England transcendental movement – including Emerson, Thoreau, and her own philosopher father Bronson Alcott.
In My Shoes
- Date
- Sunday, March 8, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Welcoming Congregation
- Description
- BRUU's Welcoming Congregation presents a service where both adult and youth gay/ lesbian/ bisexual BRUU members will share personal stories and then participate in a panel that addresses questions from the congregation on aspects of what it is like to be gay, past and present.
Echoes of Faith
- Date
- Sunday, March 1, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- DRE and RE volunteers
- Description
- The DRE and Religious Education volunteers will discuss the importance of our childhood faith experiences and how those experiences shape our lives into adulthood. Join us as we rediscover the beauty of our childhood faith as it resonates in our homes, communities and hearts.
Ligo & Religo: Connecting and Re-Connecting with Mime and Music
- Date
- Sunday, February 22, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- BRUU Mime Troupe
- Description
- Our very own Magical Mimes present a unique worship service, communicating and connecting through bountiful movement and music. This service features original music composed and performed by our wonderful mime parents, new sketches, and an overall theme of connection and communication. Join us to experience worship that is "out of the box."
Beyond Dog Heaven
- Date
- Sunday, February 15, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Jack Young
- Note
- Rev. Young is no stranger to BRUU. In his long career as a UU minister, he served congregations in Massachusetts and in Rockville, Maryland, but he most recently served as BRUU's Interim Minister from 2003-2004. Be sure to come and welcome Jack back to our pulpit.
- Description
- Sometimes the important stuff winnows its way into our consciousness in the most unexpected way and time. This message is based on my experience of a most unique memorial service quite recently. And we'll have a Polylogue.
Rise in BodySpirit!
- Date
- Sunday, February 8, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Shelly Page
- Note
- Shelly Page is the intern minister at the Unitarian Universalists of Central Delaware. She graduated from Starr King School for the Ministry.
- Description
- We live inherently as whole beings but too often we split ourselves into the false pieces of body, mind and spirit. Let's explore the power of embodied spiritual practice to help us embrace our wholeness and live more fully.
The Paradox of Desire
- Date
- Sunday, February 1, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Rebecca F. Benner
- Note
- Intergenerational — Rev. Benner is the former minister of the Accotink Unitarian Universalist Church and current full-time parent of a busy one-year old. Here is an opportunity for another engaging All-Church Sunday.
- Description
- We are told to reach for the stars and to be happy with what we have, to be the best we can be and to accept ourselves as we are. We celebrate both ambition and contentment. Is it possible to have both? How do we balance our desires and our desire to be satisfied? On this Sunday, Rev. Benner will explore these questions and more.
Bargains We Make With Life
- Date
- Sunday, January 25, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Dennis Daniel
- Note
- Rev. Daniel is co-minister with his wife Sydney Wilde at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston.
- Description
- Daniel Boorstin wrote, "We suffer primarily not from our vices or our weaknesses, but from our illusions. We are haunted, not by reality, but by those images we have put in its place." Today's sermon will explore what such illusions might be, as well as some hints at living more authentically based on writings of Rumi and Thoreau.
Crossing Jordan
- Date
- Sunday, January 18, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Scott McNeill
- Note
- Scott is the intern minister at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Fairfax and is nearing the end of his studies at Meadville Lombard Theological School.
- Description
- In the Eagles' song "After the Thrill Is Gone", they ask "What can you do when your dreams come true and it's not quite like you've planned?" With this in mind, I wonder about Dr. King's prophecy that he wouldn't get to the promised land, and our country's impending inauguration. And most importantly — what meaning we can make of it all for our individual lives.
"Walk, Don't Walk"
- Date
- Sunday, January 11, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Jen Crow
- Note
- Rev. Crow is traveling all the way from Rochester, New York where she serves as Associate Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church.
- Description
- Together we'll explore the many ways we live at the intersection of patience and action as we strive to make change in our lives and in the world.
"Forgiveness"
- Date
- Sunday, January 4, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Sydney K. Wilde
- Note
- Intergenerational — Rev. Wilde is co-minister with her husband Dennis Daniel at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston. She's known for her excellent children’s stories, so you won't want to miss this All Church Sunday.
- Description
- Members of the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church and the Westside Fellowship spoke of forgiveness for the gunman who entered the TVUUC sanctuary and opened fire last August. Bill Sinkford, President of the UUA perfectly described our faith when he said that the gunman had already been living in his own personal hell and our faith called us not to condemn the gunman but to remedy the societal factors that created that hell in the first place. This morning we will look at how we individually work towards forgiveness, and how forgiveness works towards a better world.
"Change for the Better"
- Date
- Sunday, December 28, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Janette and Star Muir
- Description
- After experiencing a very long election season where the theme of "change" resonated for most Americans, we now turn to the reality of change both in our country and for ourselves. As we move toward a new year, it may be helpful to think about some of those challenges for changing our habits, our minds and our hearts. Beyond a typical resolution for 2009, this service asks you to think about what really needs to happen in order to reach those often perceived as unreachable goals. The annual "disposing" of negative thoughts and actions will take place so we can move forward and embrace possibility.
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
- Date
- Wednesday, December 24, 2008, 7:00 - 8:00PM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- This quiet music-filled evening service will bring out the timeless themes of the Christmas season. We'll read the Christmas story, share poetry, sing carols, and enjoy silence and candlelight together.
"Anticipation"
- Date
- Sunday, December 21, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- This is indeed the season of anticipation, perhaps especially for me and my family. Just under two weeks away from our due-date, I'll reflect upon the anticipation both of the holiday season and of major changes in life.
"A Season for Giving" Choir Service
- Date
- Sunday, December 14, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Annease Hastings and the BRUU Choirs
- Note
- Holiday Choir Service
- Description
- This is our annual, choir holiday service presented by the adult, children's and youth choirs. Children in kindergarten and above will join us in the sanctuary; however nursery and preschool will meet as usual in their classrooms.
"Spiritual Risk Taking" Series: [4] "Truth Telling"
- Date
- Sunday, December 7, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Note
- Intergenerational
- Description
- To conclude our sermon series, we'll look at one of the greatest risks of all, truth-telling. What truths do you have the courage to speak? What truths do you try not to utter? Truth-telling isn't as simple as it sounds. It's a brave thing indeed.
"Being UU Is Not a Spectator Sport"
- Date
- Sunday, November 30, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Tim Miner, OUnI
- Description
- Join a celebration of all the ways that we have to express our spirituality and commitment to one another through participation, service, and relationship here at BRUU.
"Spiritual Risk Taking" Series: [3] "Humility"
- Date
- Sunday, November 23, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- A Cistercian monk once said, "You have to have a healthy ego to die to self." In this series on spiritual risk-taking, we'll look at the line that divides true humility from abject self-criticism. One is at the center of spirituality. The other is a trap we can too easily fall in to.
"Hunger in Our Midst"
- Date
- Sunday, November 16, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- This season of Thanksgiving and abundance marks an opportunity for all of us to reflect not only on our many gifts, but on the fact that here in our own town and our own congregation, neighbors and beloved friends go hungry. How can we respond to this hunger with efficacy and compassion?
"The Tears of Things: Breaking the Silence"
- Date
- Sunday, November 9, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd and Jane van de Vaarst
- Description
- In culture and in religion itself, there is a tendency to deny pain, sanctify suffering, and answer sorrow only with silence. In this service, Jane and Nancy will look deeply at how abuse and the silence surrounding it affect women's lives and how speaking truth out of that silence can give the gift of life.
"Post-Christian or Presently Pluralistic?"
- Date
- Sunday, November 2, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Note
- Intergenerational
- Description
- Some people have described Unitarian Universalism as a post-Christian religious body. Others have taken great exception to that moniker. Who are we in relationship to the theological traditions that gave rise to us?
Guest Presentation by Reverend Kalen Fristad
- Date
- Sunday, October 26, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Kalen Fristad
- Description
- Our guest preacher is a Christian universalist and an ordained United Methodist Minister. After serving churches in Iowa for 27 years he embarked upon an independent ministry consisting of traveling to many churches countering the teaching that God sends many people to hell for ever and instead, proclaiming the hopeful message of universalism. He went back to the parish ministry in July 2006. As of January 2008, while continuing to serve churches in Iowa part-time, he has resumed his traveling ministry, spending half time on the road speaking on the subject of universalism.
"Spiritual Risk Taking" Series: [2] "Mercy"
- Date
- Sunday, October 19, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- The word "mercy" is most often used to reference the compassion or forbearance given by a God to people. But even if we take away the idea of a supernatural divinity entirely, what might it look like for you to have mercy or to receive it? Would it be a spiritual risk?
"Wrestling the Angel"
- Date
- Sunday, October 12, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- In the Hebrew Scriptures, the patriarch Jacob wrestles an angel to force a blessing out of him. In another story, Jacob steals a blessing from his brother Esau. Are we like Jacob or unlike him? What would it mean to stop at nothing in order to be blessed?
"Devotion"
- Date
- Sunday, October 5, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Note
- Intergenerational
- Description
- Sufi poets describe their spiritual quest as one centered primarily on devotion – devotion to God, to beauty, and to the world. How might we live out a sense of devotion in our lives? To whom or what might we be so devoted?
"Turning Toward the Light: Rosh Hashanah and the Third Principle of Unitarian Universalism"
- Date
- Sunday, September 28, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Kristin Leigh Grassel
- Description
- Kristin Grassel is a UU Student at Wesley Theological Seminary in DC. She's a member of Cedar Lane UU Church and is starting her second year of ministerial education.
"What They Saw in Us"
- Date
- Sunday, September 21, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- General Assembly Attendees and Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- At this summer’s UUA General Assembly, several BRUU members had the opportunity to learn what other folks might see in our congregation. How might those bright visions challenge us to grow and change in the present and future? How can we live out the great things others see in us.
"Spiritual Risk Taking" Series: [1] "Faith"
- Date
- Sunday, September 14, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- This fall's sermon series will look at some different ways we can challenge ourselves to take spiritual risks in our lives. In this first one, we'll talk about how believing in something, anything – is itself an act of great courage.
Ingathering & Water Communion Service
- Date
- Sunday, September 7, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd and friends
- Note
- Intergenerational
- Description
- At this annual ingathering celebration, remember to bring water from your home or your summer travels. Together, we’ll mingle these waters to create a powerful symbol of our interconnected community.
"Abandoning the Raft"
- Date
- Sunday, August 31, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- The Buddha told a story about a man who built a raft to get to the opposite side of a river. He then asked, “Should this man, then, carry his raft upon his back once he has crossed?” What do we need to abandon that has gotten us all this way? What must be left behind for us to move forward?
"Coming of Age"
- Date
- Sunday, August 24, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd and Coming of Age class
- Description
- Over the summer, our Coming of Age youth have had the opportunity to reflect on their faith, their friendships and their continuing journeys as a part of our congregation. In this service, we’ll join together to share some of those reflections.
"Promises"
- Date
- Sunday, August 17, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Great theologian Martin Buber wrote that “The human being as such, is the promise-making, promise-keeping, promise-breaking, promise-renewing creature.” What promises do we make and re-make? How do even our broken promises shape our spiritual lives?
"The North Meets the South: The ancient prophesy of the Eagle and the Condor"
- Date
- Sunday, August 10, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Ricardo Sanchez and Nita Godwin
- Description
- Native American Nations across the Western Hemisphere have a perceptive, holistic view of life and the world. While each Nation has its own culture and traditions, common threads of ancient wisdom and knowledge are shared by almost all. We will travel, not to the other side of the world, but to the inner domain of our continent, to learn about the ancient collective hope and prophesy found deep in the heart of Native American cosmology.
"What Does It Mean to Me to be Called a Healer?"
- Date
- Sunday, August 3, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Trude Blomso
- Description
- Having worked in the alternative healing field for over 20 years Trude shares how she herself stays well and grounded, who "guides" her in her life, and why would people seek help from the likes of her. Yoga Instructor since 1985, Reiki Teacher since 1992, Licensed Massage Therapist since 1993, Light Weaver of Angelic Energies since 1996, Poet.
"What's So Funny 'bout Peace, Love, and Understanding?"
- Date
- Sunday, July 27, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Mark Owens and Friends
- Description
- Come enjoy songs about peace, protest and compassion, along with some discussion about their effects on society and the people they tried to reach and inform.
"Journeys"
- Date
- Sunday, July 20, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Description
- Come experience members and friends sharing their spiritual journeys coming to, through, and beyond BRUU.
"Day's Journey"
- Date
- Sunday, July 13, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- The Writing Group
- Description
- Selected writings on building bridges, healing ourselves, and experiencing "God" through creativity.
"The Beauty of Impermanence"
- Date
- Sunday, July 6, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Note
- All church Sunday
- Description
- Many things in life aren’t meant to last. Everything that comes our way is, in time, on its way somewhere else. How can we come to accept and understand the impermanence of life?
"My God, I'm Ordained! Now What?"
- Date
- Sunday, June 29, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Tim Miner
- Description
- BRUU member and a graduate of the Class of 2008 of The New Seminary, NYC, will talk about the call to service. As a newly Ordained Interfaith Minister, he will discuss how every member of the BRUU community has a role to play. Every member of the BRUU community is a minister to us all.
"Pluralism," the Final Part of "Religion in America" Sermon Series
- Date
- Sunday, June 22, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Contemporary American religion cannot be defined by one particular spiritual path or religious identity. We are a truly pluralistic religious society and we are headed toward a future where that statement holds even greater truth. How can we embrace this religious pluralism and thrive within it?
"God is a Crazy Shepherd"
- Date
- Sunday, June 15, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Many of us have heard, at some point, the Christian parable of the lost sheep. The shepherd leaves the entire flock and goes in search of the one who has gone astray. If we can work with the metaphor of God as a shepherd, how might we be searched for when we are lost?
"The Many Faces of God"
- Date
- Sunday, June 8, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Annease Hastings and the Adult Choir
- Note
- Choir Service
- Description
- This is an all-music service, in which the adult choir will share songs that express the many characteristics of the Judeo-Christian God. How has this God evolved over time and how does this music speak to us today? As inheritors of the liberal Christian tradition of Unitarianism and Universalism, we will explore this aspect of our heritage through music and personal reflections.
Bridging Ceremony and Teacher Recognition
- Date
- Sunday, June 1, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Bridging Youth, their Families, and Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- In this annual service, we’ll honor the development and dedication of our youth who head on to the next stage of their lives. We’ll also honor all of our Religious Education teachers and say goodbye to our Interim Director of Religious Education, Michele Grove.
"Exodus Faith in 2008: Jeremiah Wright and the Black Church in America," Part 6 of the "Religion in America" Sermon Series
- Date
- Sunday, May 25, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- No series on religion in America would be complete without a look at the development and position of the African America Church in our nation. Using contemporary issues related to the Reverend Jeremiah Wright as a starting point, we’ll look at the relationship between race and religion.
"Getting to Know the Feminine Side of the Divine"
- Date
- Sunday, May 18, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Tim Miner, Interfaith Seminarian, and members of the congregation
- Description
- Mother's Day is over, but during this worship service, we will explore the many feminine aspects and names of the Divine that have been handed down through the world's faiths. Members of the BRUU congregation will share their perspectives on the role of the feminine Divine in their lives and how that impacts their world view. Come celebrate the beauty and wonder of the richness and diversity within our community as we see God through different eyes.
"Hope is The Thing with Feathers"
- Date
- Sunday, May 11, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Emily Dickenson wrote, \“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul, and sings the tune--without the words, and never stops at all.\” How have you experienced the persistence of hope in your life?
"Prove All Things, Hold Fast The Good"
- Date
- Sunday, May 4, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- On May 5th, 1819, William Ellery Channing preached a sermon in Baltimore that laid out the doctrine of early American Unitarianism. His sermon encouraged hearers to “prove all things,” and to hold on to what is good, even while discarding the rest. We’ll honor his legacy and ask what the sermon still has to teach us today.
"Lost your Earth Connection?"
- Date
- Sunday, April 27, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Green Sanctuary Committee
- Note
- Earth Day Service
- Description
- Join the Green Sanctuary Committee while we reestablish our roots and nourish our spiritual connection with the Earth.
"Passing Over"
- Date
- Sunday, April 20, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- In commemoration of the great journey of Passover, this sermon will look at the many journeys we are on. How can we, as the ancient Hebrew story tells, set out to travel along an uncertain course and have faith enough to believe that eventually, we might find our way home?
"Community, Commitment, and the 2004 Red Sox"
- Date
- Sunday, April 13, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Note
- Auction Sermon
- Description
- In 2004, the Boston Red Sox won their first World Series in a very long time and fans around the world felt like they were a part of something bigger than themselves. In this world of isolation and separation, what really makes us feel our connection to one another? The Red Sox can do it, but what else?
"We are a Green Sanctuary, but are you Green?"
- Date
- Sunday, April 6, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- The Youth Group
- Description
- BRUU is a Green Sanctuary, but what about all its individuals.
"Celebrating an Easy Life"
- Date
- Sunday, March 30, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Sometimes you just have to kick back, take a break, and think about how great it is to be alive. We’ll celebrate the art of leisure in this sermon and praise the gift of easy living.
Flower Communion, "The Colors of Creation"
- Date
- Sunday, March 23, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Note
- Intergenerational Service
- Description
- Our annual Flower Communion coincides with this Easter Sunday. Don’t forget to bring a flower to share. The service will include lots of dance and many stories.
"Guilty as Charged"
- Date
- Sunday, March 16, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- In the Christian year, we approach the observed time of Jesus of Nazareth’s execution at the hands of Roman officials. This sermon will look at what exactly Jesus was tried and convicted for and wonder if his guilt was not also his greatest gift to the world.
"A Plain Old Ordinary Day at BRUU"
- Date
- Sunday, March 9, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- This year’s stewardship campaign theme is \“Keeping the Lights On,\” and this sermon will reflect on all the everyday miracles that happen here among us at BRUU. A plain old ordinary day here is a magnificent thing indeed.
"Religion in Civil Society," Part 5 of the "Religion in America" Sermon Series
- Date
- Sunday, March 2, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- From civil rights and environmental Justice to hot-button issues like abortion and cloning, religion has long acted as a force to change or maintain society in America. This sermon will look at the highs and the lows of sacred power in the secular world.
"The 3 AM Miracle"
- Date
- Sunday, February 24, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Amanda Poppei
- Note
- Amanda Poppei is a Candidate for the Unitarian Universalist ministry visiting today from Washington, DC.
- Description
- Join visiting preacher Amanda Poppei as she considers the joys and struggles of new parenthood, and explores how the lessons learned at 3 AM might extend beyond the nursery?
"Mormonism: An American Faith," Part 4 of the "Religion in America" Sermon Series
- Date
- Sunday, February 17, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon Church, is probably the most successful example of a uniquely American faith tradition. What exemplifies American religion and what can this particular tradition teach us about how religion has grown on this soil?
"A Sacred Spaciousness"
- Date
- Sunday, February 10, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- As we approach Valentine's Day, this we'll look at how we can not only be in deep relationship with one another, but leave room for sacred spaciousness between us.
"Servant Leadership"
- Date
- Sunday, February 3, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Most images of leadership (both moral and institutional) in our society have to do with big bossy folks getting their way. What kind of leadership could we share if we saw ourselves as servants to one another and to our world?
"By Heart"
- Date
- Sunday, January 27, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- In this service, several people will share something that they know "by heart," and Nancy will reflect on what it means to hold something so closely and treasure it so much that you know it in a wholly different way.
"To Be Transformed"
- Date
- Sunday, January 20, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Transformation is a pretty scary thing. What would it mean if we were to wake up every morning unafraid of transformation, ready to embrace all the changes at hand?
"The Shape of Worth: Our Seven Principles in Mime and Music"
- Date
- Sunday, January 13, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- BRUU Mime Troupe
- Description
- Our very own Magical Mimes present a unique worship service, shaping the worth of our UU Principles with bountiful movement and music. This service, expanded from last year, includes additional sketches by the mimes and original music by BRUU mime parents. Experience worship that is "out of the box" and leaves Ed Day speechless!
"Journeys"
- Date
- Sunday, January 6, 2008, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Worship Committee
- Description
- What spiritual journey has brought you to BRUU? Interested in other journeys? Join us as three of our members share some of their spiritual path through life into BRUUness.
"Burning Bridges or Turning Over a New Leaf?"
- Date
- Sunday, December 30, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Janette and Star Muir
- Description
- Some of us find comfort in making small changes in our life that accumulate, while others find change only possible with radical new behavior and environment. This service will explore how we reflect on change, struggle with change, and even embrace change. We will continue our tradition of burning our detritus at the family friendly New Year's Eve party at the Muir House.
"Candlelight Service"
- Date
- Monday, December 24, 2007, 7:00 - 8:00PM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- This year, we will not have an intergenerational pageant. Instead, we’ll have a simple service of candlelight, story and song. Reverend Nancy will tell a version of the nativity story and we’ll sing Silent Night to the youngest child in the congregation.
"Solstice: A Spiral Instead of a Line"
- Date
- Sunday, December 23, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- In this season of turning, as the wheel of the year make another rotation and the long cold nights are at their longest, we’ll look at how our lives, like the seasons, move often in a spiral instead of a line.
"Journey to Bethlehem "
- Date
- Sunday, December 16, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- This is our annual holiday music service, which will focus on themes of the nativity story and how they speak to us as Unitarian Universalists. All three choirs will be singing, along with the newly formed Family Choir. This is an intergenerational service; however, preschool and nursery will be meeting as usual in the regular rooms.
"Lessons of Religious Education "
- Date
- Sunday, December 9, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Michele Grove, Interim Director of Religious Education
- Description
- Michele Grove, will lead a worship experience surrounding the explicit and implicit lessons of Religious education. As a community, we will reflect upon those lessons our congregation intends to teach as well as those lessons we teach without knowing it. Also, we will celebrate the relationship of the professional minister, Reverend Nancy McDonald-Ladd, and congregation, now in its third year, with a renewed covenant.
"The Rise of Fundamentalism," Part 3 in the "Religion in America" Sermon Series
- Date
- Sunday, December 2, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- This sermon will look at the origins and rise of fundamentalist movements in America. What does "fundamentalism" really mean? Why are fundamentalist movements so appealing to so many and what message might counteract fundamentalism’s most damaging aspects? We’ll also examine the balance between some dualities like tradition and innovation in American religion.
"I Give Thanks, We Give Thanks"
- Date
- Sunday, November 25, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Worship Committee
- Description
- In the spirit of counting our blessings, this service will give people and members of groups within BRUU a chance to give thanks for what we have in our individual lives, and in our community.
"Finding Faith"
- Date
- Sunday, November 18, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- What does faith mean in our liberal religious context? What does it mean in our lives? We take leaps into the unknown every single day. What faith allows you to take those leaps and how might faith guide you in your journey?
"Losing Forward"
- Date
- Sunday, November 11, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- One national advocate for gay and lesbian marriage rights has said that while we may have lost last November’s vote on the Marriage Amendment in Virginia, we are \“losing forward,\” taking strides that folks didn’t even know we were capable of. Upon the one year anniversary of the amendment, where do we go from here? What positive strides are still underway?
"The Great Awakening," Part 2 in the "Religion in America" Sermon Series
- Date
- Sunday, November 4, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- In the late 17th century, revivals started breaking out all over the young American colonies. What legacy remains from this passionate time in our history and how can we live it out today?
"Day of the Dead"
- Date
- Sunday, October 28, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd and the Worship Committee
- Description
- This service, drawn from Latino/a culture, will invite us to reflect with love on all those who have gone before us.
"Theodore Parker: Prophet and Product"
- Date
- Sunday, October 21, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- The Reverend John Crestwell
- Note
- Our guest minister is Reverend John T. Crestwell, Jr. of Davies Memorial UUC. He is active in a growth plan to assist the church in growing in racial diversity. Under his leadership, nearly 4 in 10 members is a person of color. The church has been named a 2007 Breakthrough Congregation by the UUA.
- Description
- Theodore Parker was a great leader in our movement. He was an outspoken abolitionist and theological prophet. However there was another side of the story that is not shared often. Today we will look at Parker as a prophet and product of his time, and how Unitarian Universalism must deal with his dichotomy today.
"Association Sunday "
- Date
- Sunday, October 14, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- On this Sunday all over the Unitarian Universalist Association, hundreds of congregations like ours will celebrate a new comprehensive campaign to grow our faith. A special collection will be taken to support the larger efforts of the UU communities.
"A Buddhist Perspective on Suffering"
- Date
- Sunday, October 7, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- In the Buddhist worldview, suffering is an essential part of each person’s spiritual and material journey. While we certainly prefer to avoid suffering, what can we learn by embracing it?
"Surprised by Joy"
- Date
- Sunday, September 30, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- In a world full of obligation, complexity and even grief, how might we find ourselves surprised by joy? Overwhelmed by beauty? Taken aback by the sheer wonder of being alive?!
"Puritan Heritage," Part 1 in the "Religion in America" Sermon Series
- Date
- Sunday, September 23, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- This year’s sermon series will be called "Religion in America," and will focus on different aspects of the uniquely American religious experience. This sermon will begin at the beginning, with the intersection of European Puritan traditions and those of America’s native people.
"Coming of Age"
- Date
- Sunday, September 16, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd, special guest musician Joe Jencks, and the BRUU Coming of Age Class
- Description
- What does it mean to be or become an adult in our society? When we leave behind our childhoods, to we take upon a mantle of joy along with our mantle of responsibility?
Ingathering and Water Communion
- Date
- Sunday, September 9, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- This annual ingathering ceremony is a Celebration of our beloved community. Don't forget to bring water from your home or from your summer travels. We'll also have a child dedication ceremony.
"Take Your Place Among the Righteous"
- Date
- Sunday, September 2, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Cheri Zeman, Executive Director of SERVE, Inc.
- Description
- Cheri will talk not just about SERVE, and about various ways people can help those less fortunate. She bases this on Matthew 25:31-46.
"God in Quiet Places"
- Date
- Sunday, August 26, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Several years ago, I had a crack at a Sermon about forgiveness, but it's too complicated and important a topic for one sermon, so we'll have a fresh look at it and see what new insights we can discover.
"God in Quiet Places"
- Date
- Sunday, August 19, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- The Hebrew tradition tells a story about a man who tried to find God in big dramatic things, but God was not in dramatic things. God was not in earthquakes and high winds and fancy miracles. God was only in the still, small voice within. We'll look at that story and its lessons for us.
"Like Family"
- Date
- Sunday, August 12, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Just like every family, our church family is a sustaining and challenging force in many of our lives. This service will look at the joys and sorrows, the gifts and burdens, of really being a family to one another.
"How to be a UU Mystic"
- Date
- Sunday, August 5, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Tim Miner
- Description
- Every member of BRUU can be a true spiritual mystic. It is in our heritage. Lets find out how during our time together.
"What Resides at the Core of Transformation?"
- Date
- Sunday, July 29, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Cathy Schmader Kopac
- Description
- The service will include a discussion about compassion and justice residing at the center of transformation. Based on a recently completed study, it will explore how people experiencing varied transformations came to value themselves, others and the work they do through different "lenses".
"Faith, Logic, and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse"
- Date
- Sunday, July 22, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- BRUU Young Adults
- Description
- Faith and Logic go to therapy to resolve their differences.
"BRUU Journeys"
- Date
- Sunday, July 15, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Select BRUU Members
- Description
- This service provides three BRUU members and friends an opportunity to share their spiritual journeys with the congregation.
"This Refulgent Summer"
- Date
- Sunday, July 8, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Lyn Cox
- Note
- Guest speaker Reverend Lyn Cox is the Director for Young Adult and Campus Ministry for the Joseph Priestley District (JPD). The JPD is the regional association of 65 Unitarian Universalist congregations of which BRUU is a member.
- Description
- Mindful appreciation of the here and now is an old Unitarian Universalist tradition, made famous by Transcendentalists such as Ralph Waldo Emerson. Love for the world and accountability to truth keep us in relation to our UU heritage. Even so, holding both of those things at once requires a creative balancing act.
"Remaining Unsettled"
- Date
- Sunday, July 1, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Our lives are often chaotic and we seek some measure of control in the midst of it all. But there are gifts to be found in an unsettled life, a life where some freedom is to be found in uncertainty.
"Chance of a Lifetime"
- Date
- Sunday, June 24, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Star Muir
- Description
- Celebrating chaos and randomness as essential forces of life in the universe, this service focuses on the impact of random chance on our lives. Music and readings will be chosen randomly, and stories will be shared on how chance has brought us variously through our life to this community. Challenges of surrendering to and living with chaos are likely to surface. The resulting combination of individuals, circumstances, ideas and spirit will never occur again.
"Painting Lilies"
- Date
- Sunday, June 17, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Of all the sermons I've preached over the years, this one has played the most important role in my own faith life. I've preached it in different versions over the years, but never to our whole congregation. I'm excited to adapt and renew this message that has been so important to me.
"Wisdom from the Children of Abraham: A Service in Song."
- Date
- Sunday, June 10, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Annease Hastings and the Adult Choir
- Note
- Choir Service
- Description
- In this music service, the Adult Choir will share songs from Christian, Jewish and Islamic traditions. Music is called the universal language because it transcends so many of our differences. What kind of meaning can songs from these different faiths bring to us as UU's? Bring a dish to share for the Annual Picnic after the service!
"Celebrating Our Unique Religious Education Identity"
- Date
- Sunday, June 3, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Michelle Grove and Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Note
- Intergenerational
- Description
- This intergenerational service will celebrate the uniqueness that is BRUU while challenging us to envision a future as bright as our past and present. We'll also honor our religious education teachers for their service.
"Sacrifice"
- Date
- Sunday, May 27, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- In this last of the five pillars of Islam services, we'll look at how sacrifice is and is not a valuable component of our faith lives. Is there a place for willing sacrifice in our contemporary lives?
"Thinking As Prayer"
- Date
- Sunday, May 20, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- We often think of prayer as a non-rational action reserved for mystics, but this sermon will ask whether the workings of the human mind can be considered spiritually fulfilling, even prayerful.
"Can the Universe Be Trusted?"
- Date
- Sunday, May 13, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- The Worship Committee - Connie Barlow and Michael Dowd
- Note
- Special Presentation
- Description
- The cover story of the spring 2006 issue of the national magazine of the Unitarian Universalist Association features the work of Connie Barlow and Michael Dowd, "itinerant evolutionary evangelists", in bringing a sacred understanding of evolution into Unitarian Universalist circles, where it powerfully bridges the spiritual and philosophical diversity inherent in this liberal faith tradition. In this presentation, they offer that perhaps the most important philosophical stance we take, knowingly or unknowingly, is the degree to which we trust reality. Drawing from the Great Story of cosmos, Earth, life, and humanity, Michael suggests ways in which the Universe can be trusted, discusses the practical difference it makes whether we choose to do so or not, and closes with a suggested tool for personal empowerment in the face of challenge.
"Pilgrimage"
- Date
- Sunday, May 6, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Note
- All Church Sunday
- Description
- A continuation of this year's sermon series on the five pillars of Islam, this sermon will look at pilgrimage as an act of spiritual importance to people around the world. I'll also touch on some of my experiences traveling in Israel, Palestine and Jordan.
"Bloom Where You Are Planted"
- Date
- Sunday, April 29, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Continuing the springtime flower theme this month, we'll look at how each of us can blossom and grow in our own unique way, in this life, the only life we've got to live.
Earth Day and Greg Greenway
- Date
- Sunday, April 22, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Green Sanctuary Committee
- Description
- What better way to remember Earth Day then to enjoy the music of folk singer Greg Greenway and also be spirited by the Green Sanctuary Committee!!
Bridging Ceremony
- Date
- Sunday, April 15, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- As several of our congregation's youth move on to the next steps of their lives, we'll gather together to honor all that they have taught us over their growing-up years and let them know that they are a part of an ongoing community of faith.
Flower Communion, "The Velveteen Rabbit"
- Date
- Sunday, April 8, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd and Friends
- Note
- Intergenerational worship; don't forget your flowers
- Description
- This Easter Sunday, we'll celebrate the tradition of BRUU flower communion. Each member of the congregation brings a flower, and each one takes a different flower than they brought. In this season of rebirth, come celebrate the love that makes us "real".
"Playing the Fool"
- Date
- Sunday, April 1, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Note
- All Church Sunday
- Description
- Come celebrate April fool's Day with a celebration of foolishness, laughter and joy. All are encouraged to wear silly hats to the service in recognition of the wisdom that can be gained only while wearing a silly hat and singing silly songs.
"Facing Your NINEVAH"
- Date
- Sunday, March 25, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Kwame O Reed
- Description
- The mystery and power of myth in shining a light on our struggles.
"We Are the Gold"
- Date
- Sunday, March 18, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- This Sunday will kick off our annual Stewardship Campaign. We share so many treasures with one another in community, but the truest treasure of all is that of challenging and authentic relationship. "We are the gold" to one another.
"Reaching Beyond the Aisle"
- Date
- Sunday, March 11, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Politically, we hear a lot about leaders trying to "reach across the aisle" of their separate partisan viewpoints. This Sunday, we'll look at how we religious folks might reach beyond the aisle and find allies in our pursuit of peace and justice, even in what may seem like unlikely places. This sermon was topic was chosen by our auction winner Burt Miller, so it better be good!
"Winds of Life"
- Date
- Sunday, March 4, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- The Worship Committee
- Description
- Against our face, we feel a gentle breeze, or perhaps an icy blast of fresh reality. In our hearts, we feel agony and sorrow as cyclones and hurricanes devastate towns and cities. Many of us have strong memories of the wind, which, among all elements, is a constant source of change. While we regularly include earth, fire, and water into our services, this day will give equal time to the spirituality of the wind as a force of nature.
"Varieties of Love: The Secret Lives of the Unitarian Chaplain"
- Date
- Sunday, February 25, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Guest Speaker
"Unitarianism and Universalism: Our Dual Heritage"
- Date
- Sunday, February 18, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- In 1961, two separate denominations, the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of America, merged to create what we know as the Unitarian Universalist Association. What does our dual heritage have to teach us today?
"Compassion: Abide with Me"
- Date
- Sunday, February 11, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- This is a season when we celebrate romantic love, but this service will focus on a different kind of love, the love that calls us to abide with one another in beloved community.
"The Remoteness of the Promised Land"
- Date
- Sunday, February 4, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- From Moses to Martin Luther King, it is often the case that the prophets who foretell great things never do see the "promised land". In a world that isn't a utopia, how do we keep living the journey when the promised land (the kin-dom itself?) continues to stay just over the horizon?
"Creating the Kin-Dom"
- Date
- Sunday, January 28, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- An advocate for anti-oppression during her life, the Reverend Marjorie Bowens-Wheatley, said that "We are co-creators with God in bringing about the kin-dom of God, where humanity will transcend its loyalties of particularity: from individual or group identity to the recognition of our essential relatedness." How can we bring about the kin-dom?
"Finding Soul"
- Date
- Sunday, January 7, 2007, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Note
- All Church Sunday
- Description
- Thomas Moore wrote that, "The greatest malady of the 20th century ... is the loss of soul." Is it possible to live soulfully and with spiritual depth in our busy culture?
"Moving Forward Intentionally"
- Date
- Sunday, December 31, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Star and Janette Muir.
- Description
- Addressing our “issues” and staying in balance sometimes requires us to pause, reflect, and move with greater intentionality. On the cusp of new beginnings, this service will explore some reflective principles, and empower people to face challenges and move forward, freer and lighter, into a new year. The ritual “burning of the old” will be held that evening at the Muir home.
"Waiting"
- Date
- Sunday, December 24, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- The holiday season is a season of anticipation, waiting for gifts to be opened, waiting for family celebrations, and waiting for the old stories to be told once again. Come this Christmas Eve morning for singing, prayer and reflection.
A Season Of Joy And Peace Around The World
- Date
- Sunday, December 17, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Annease Hastings and the BRUU Choirs
- Note
- Holiday Choir Service
- Description
- This is the holiday music service, featuring all three BRUU choirs. We'll share music, stories and dance from holidays celebrated here and abroad. This is an intergenerational service for kindergarten and older.
"Silence: The Limitation of Words"
- Date
- Sunday, December 10, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Though our services and our lives are full of words, language is only a set of symbols that points to something beyond the words. What do we learn from silence?
"Prayer: A Pillar of Islam"
- Date
- Sunday, December 3, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Note
- All Church Sunday
- Description
- In this second of five sermons on the Five Pillars of Islam, we’ll look at the practice of prayer within Muslim communities and ask what we can learn from this form of regular spiritual practice.
"Someone Else's Land"
- Date
- Sunday, November 26, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Thanksgiving is a holiday during which we think wistfully about the Native peoples of the land we now inhabit. Children cut out turkeys and feather headdresses of paper and we speak of giving thanks to an abundant creation. But how does living on someone else’s land really affect us in this time of abundance?
"First-Ever BRUU Mime Worship Service"
- Date
- Sunday, November 19, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Mime Troupe
- Description
- This service, led by the BRUU youth mime troupe "The Magical Mimes" and their director Cynthia Rouillard will include music, movement and stories that help us reflect on our Unitarian Universalist principles and purposes.
"Transformed Nonconformists"
- Date
- Sunday, November 12, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- A long time ago, Paul’s letter to the Romans told folks not to be conformed, but to be trans formed. Whatever happens in the November elections, whatever happens in the affairs of the world, engaged people like us can find transformation without conforming.
Guest Musician Joe Jenks
- Date
- Sunday, November 5, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Rev. Nancy McDonald Ladd and special guest musician Joe Jenks
- Description
- Joe Jenks is a professional musician and songwriter whose greatest musical concern is to minister to the human spirit. After working together at SUUSI 2006, he and Nancy couldn’t resist a reunion. They haven’t picked a topic yet, but it promises to be lively.
"The First Pillar of Islam: Testimony"
- Date
- Sunday, October 29, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- This year’s sermon series will be in five parts, covering the spiritual insights of the Five Pillars of Islam. The Five Pillars, understood as the essential practical components of the Islamic faith, can be briefly summarized as Testimony, Prayer, Giving, Fasting and Pilgrimage. What kind of testimony might you give to your beliefs and values?
"Religious Education is Our Journey"
- Date
- Sunday, October 22, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Michele Townsend Grove, Interim DRE
- Description
- Religious Education is more than a program offered at your local congregation. It is an ongoing process of learning, discovery and deepening as a community. Today the service will lead the community in an exploration of Lifespan Religious Education as a way of being beyond children, youth and adult programs. How does Religious education happen and how does it affect us as individuals and the greater community at large? Join us and celebrate lifespan religious education in all its diverse traditions.
"Doorways to BRUU Becoming"
- Date
- Sunday, October 15, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Worship Committee
- Description
- A church can have strong walls to protect the community, but it must have many doorways to let people in. Some doors are opened by hand, but others are kept open by the connections and shared experience of many different parts of BRUU, doorways inviting participation, opening up to new relationships. Members of BRUU will discuss what doors opened for them, and what doors they would like to see opening as we evolve.
"Celebrating Marriage"
- Date
- Sunday, October 8, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Marriage Equality Witness Event following the service. In this service, we’ll celebrate the very best impulses that lead loving couples to not only choose marriage for themselves, but work for marriage rights for all people regardless of sexual orientation. Stay after the service for a moving witness for marriage equality by some of BRUU’s committed couples.
"What Connects Us: In Celebration of BRUU's 25th Anniversary"
- Date
- Sunday, October 1, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Rev. Nancy McDonald Ladd and Doris Galvin
- Note
- Founder’s Day Service
- Description
- In Celebration of BRUU’s 25th Anniversary,” Doris Galvin and Rev. Nancy McDonald Ladd will reflect on all that we have become in the last 25 years and all that we are becoming in the present and future.
"A Sense of Place"
- Date
- Sunday, September 24, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Ours is a transitory culture. Not only do we tend move a great deal, but our relationships to the people and places that fill our lives are very different than the relationships that connected people generations ago. What gives you a sense of place? What grounds you in your relationships?
"The Spirituality of Saying No"
- Date
- Sunday, September 17, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- In this fast-paced part of a fast-paced world, we live with very high expectations of ourselves and others. We want to give and give, saying yes to everything we can until there is nothing left for us offer. Sometimes, however, the very best gift we can give is the simple truth of saying " no".
Water Communion Service
- Date
- Sunday, September 10, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- In this service, water symbolizes all those beautiful things we bring back with us to our BRUU family after a summer of traveling, learning and working. Bring a small amount of water from your travels or your homes and let Nancy know ahead of time if there is a story or significant event you’d like to share with the congregation.
"I Never Did See Shanghai"
- Date
- Sunday, September 3, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Note
- All Church Sunday
- Description
- This summer, I saw “An Inconvenient Truth,” Al Gore’s disturbing and compelling documentary on global warming. In it, a computerized map shows what might happen eventually if global warming goes unabated. Costal China, Florida, most of Japan… gone. It made me think about the impermanence of things and about the spiritual and temporal losses of environmental degradation.
"Trusting the Catcher"
- Date
- Sunday, August 27, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- In contemplating the challenge of the trapeze artist, writer Henri Nowen says that the hardest part isn’t letting go. The hardest part, he says, is trusting the catcher. Maybe the hardest part of many things, including church, is finding the faith in one another to believe that hands will be there to catch us when we’re falling. This sermon about what happens after we let go.
"Energy Choices"
- Date
- Sunday, August 20, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Charlie Grymes and Jack Harper
- Description
- Global warming and peak world oil production demand that we reduce our use of fossil fuel and consider other energy sources such as solar, wind, biofuels, nuclear, and wave. What energy options are best for our health and for the planet? What energy choices can we make as individuals?
"The Goddess Has a Boyfriend"
- Date
- Sunday, August 13, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Kate Granville
- Description
- One of the hallmark definitions of Paganism is Goddess worship but there is definitely a God aspect to the Divine. We will explore the often ignored male portion of Pagan beliefs as well as the various myths and characteristics associated with the masculine side of the Supreme Being. This is a learning experience for men and women, so please join us!
"Dancing Through the Seasons of Life"
- Date
- Sunday, August 6, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Tish Minear, Nita Godwin, and the BRUU Natural Movement Dancers
- Description
- Dance and other types of movement can be a vehicle for connecting to the sacred. Come explore how dance/movement can be adapted to your emotional needs, the stage of life you are in, and even the season of the year to create your own connection to universal truths.
"The Trickster"
- Date
- Sunday, July 30, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Martin Crim and James Polk
- Description
- This delightful figure surfaces in many forms in different cultures, and is often intent on shaking up the established order and questioning tradition and comfortable worldviews. Although mischief will be present, this service is no trick!
"The Sacredness of Every Person's Story"
- Date
- Sunday, July 23, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Cathy Schmader-Kopac
- Description
- Based on work in progress toward a shared ministry, this service will explore how every person’s story allows for the connectedness that we all need to flourish, to heal and to heal the planet.
"Revelations from the Rainforest"
- Date
- Sunday, July 16, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Jack and O.G. Harper
- Description
- Surprised by the emotions triggered by their visits to indigenous tribes in the Ecuadorian Amazon, veteran travelers Jack and O.G. Harper tell of the trail of death and destruction left by oil exploiters, the heroic struggles of Indians to save their lands and cultures, and the remnants of Eden hanging on by a shoestring.
"Beyond Borders"
- Date
- Sunday, July 9, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Andrew McKnight
- Description
- Andrew McKnight is a premiere songwriter and performer, and has presented at UU and other congregations across the country. Andrew's first CD in the wake of the September 11, 2001 tragedies is rich with themes of personal growth and challenging our individual "comfort zones". See http://www.andrewmcknight.net/index.html.
"BRUU Journeys"
- Date
- Sunday, July 2, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Description
- Enjoy the diversity of our journeys as members and friends of BRUU share some of their experience and evolution on their path to BRUU.
"What is This Thing We Call Worship?"
- Date
- Sunday, June 25, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Worship Committee
- Description
- Through meditation, music, readings and extended sharing of experiences and expectations, the Worship Committee offers a chance to engage and discuss the many facets of worship and what it means for this congregation.
"Father's Day: Is It Really a Hallmark Holiday?"
- Date
- Sunday, June 18, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Becky Miller and Friends
- Description
- In this service, Becky Miller and friends will take a look at the history of Father's Day and attempt to find the meaning behind the sentiments so often and routinely expressed in greeting cards.
"The Seasons of our Lives"
- Date
- Sunday, June 11, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Description
- This is our spring music service, featuring BRUU's adult choir. Join us for a morning of beautiful music, as we explore through song, the seasons of life and nature.
Coming of Age and Bridging Ceremony
- Date
- Sunday, June 4, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Coming of Age Youth and Bridging Youth Corrine Wayland. This special service of transition will invite our junior youth to share their faith journeys as they cross into their high-school years in addition to celebrating the wisdom our high school youth who stand on the edge of young adulthood. We’ll also recognize the efforts of our many Religious Education teachers.
"The First Great Triumph"
- Date
- Sunday, May 28, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- George Glady and Gerry Meader
- Description
- In honor of Memorial Day and all of those who have died in service to America, George Glady and Gerry Meader explore in music, poetry, and prose, the role America has played in international affairs after becoming a major world power at the end of the 19th century.
"Drawing Pictures of God"
- Date
- Sunday, May 21, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- What does God look like? Like that guy on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel? Like the burning bush that scared the heck out of Moses? Like a laughing black woman? Like nothing at all?
"Creating One Another"
- Date
- Sunday, May 14, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Ann McDonald and Rev. Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- This Mother’s Day, Ann McDonald will join her daughter for a reflection on the ways in which mothers and daughters co-create one another throughout their lives. Who created you? Who is creating you anew even now?
"Life Without Fred"
- Date
- Sunday, May 7, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Note
- All Church Sunday
- Description
- E.B. White once wrote of his difficult dog, Fred: “Life without him would be heaven, but I’m afraid that’s not what I want.” There are things like Fred in all of our lives, and life just wouldn’t be the same terrible and beautiful adventure without them.
"What Is Legislation For?"
- Date
- Sunday, April 30, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- This sermon subject, selected by auction winners Bruce Roemmelt and Pat Malarkey, will begin by posing that question “What is legislation for?” to the father of Virginia politics, Thomas Jefferson himself, and move forward by asking that same question of each of us. What is legislation for? Who and what is it in service to?
Earth Day Service
- Date
- Sunday, April 23, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Worship Committee
- Description
- Our sci-fi presentation "Twilight for Gaia", reminiscent of The Twilight Zone, goes back to the future to recount Earth's wonder and to transition through the "bottleneck" of the 21st century. We celebrate Earth Day knowing that we must work with one another to create not only planetary unsustainability, but a life affirming spirituality.
Easter Sunday: Flower Communion
- Date
- Sunday, April 16, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Note
- Intergenerational Service
- Description
- During this season of rebirth, we will remember those we have lost over the course of the last year, welcome children with the ritual of dedication, and celebrate our togetherness with our traditional Flower Communion. Remember to bring a flower of your choice for every member of your family.
"An Atheist With an Open Heart"
- Date
- Sunday, April 9, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Somewhere I read that, “There is nothing more beautiful than an atheist with an open heart.” I know many such people in this congregation, and this service will look at the spiritual path chosen by open hearted atheists everywhere.
"Standing on the Side of Love"
- Date
- Sunday, April 2, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Note
- All Church Sunday
- Description
- With existing and proposed legislation steadily chipping away at the freedoms of gay and lesbian persons in the commonwealth of Virginia, one question arises. How can we boldly stand on the side of love?
Annual Youth Service
- Date
- Sunday, March 26, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- BRUU Youth Group
- Description
- Come share in the enthusiasm and wisdom of BRUU’s young people as they bring us their annual youth led Sunday service.
"Stewardship Sunday: Many Notes, One Song"
- Date
- Sunday, March 19, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Coinciding with the kickoff of our annual stewardship campaign, this service will focus on the rich harmony created by our many different voices.
"Evensong: The Sources of Our Living Tradition"
- Date
- Sunday, March 12, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Rev. Nancy McDonald Ladd, Annease Hastings, and friends
- Description
- This one got snowed out in February but it’s too good to miss. In order to give the entire congregation a taste of what our Friday night Evensong Services are like, we’ll share one of our favorites this morning. Look forward to lots of music, readings, and poetry.
"A Woman Who Keeps On Singing"
- Date
- Sunday, March 5, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Note
- All Church Sunday
- Description
- Emma’s revolution is Pat Humphries and Sandy Opataw, a duo of singer-songwriters who take the work of justice seriously. In this worship service, we’ll put together two activist musicians, some lively storytelling, and our congregation for a celebration of perseverance.
"When Someone Really Listens"
- Date
- Sunday, February 26, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Rev. Nancy McDonald Ladd and Chalice Group Facilitators
- Description
- What would it be like for you to really be heard by a group of people whose only intention is to be with you? Chalice groups offer that kind of togetherness, and this service will introduce them to our congregation.
"Waging Peace"
- Date
- Sunday, February 19, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Larry Underwood
- Description
- Peace on earth has been proposed for 2000 years, yet it seems we're no closer now than we were then. How can we change that? Is it time for each of us to commit to building peace in our world, in our country, in our communities,and most importantly, in our hearts?
"Evensong: The Sources of Our Living Tradition"
- Date
- Sunday, February 12, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Rev. Nancy McDonald Ladd, Annease Hastings, and friends
- Description
- In order to give the entire congregation a taste of what an Evensong Service (our every other-month Friday evening worship) is like, we’ll be sharing our favorite of the fall Evensong Services on Sunday morning. The service includes music, readings, and dance and is definitely not to be missed.
"Coming Alive"
- Date
- Sunday, February 5, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Note
- All Church Sunday
- Description
- Howard Thurman said, “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and do it because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” What makes you come alive.
"Pointing the Way"
- Date
- Sunday, January 29, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- In the face of enormous pain and need we are forced to come to terms with our own limitation and smallness. We may not personally be saviors to this broken world, but we might just be very capable signposts, pointing the way for those who will follow.
"This Glorious Heresy"
- Date
- Sunday, January 22, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- Ours is a heretical history filled with stories of people who chose to believe differently, to behave differently, to stretch ideas as far as they could go and in so doing find a new and more authentic way to practice their faith. We modern heretics are still making choices.
Welcoming Congregation Service
- Date
- Sunday, January 15, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Description
- Learn more about the how and why of BRUU's becoming a Welcoming Congregation (WC), where it is as a WC today, and what being a WC means for BRUU's members, friends, and community.
"Sharing Liberation"
- Date
- Sunday, January 8, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd
- Description
- If liberation is costly, what prices are we willing to pay to bring freedom to all people, including, but not limited to, ourselves? What kind of freedom is worth sacrificing for?
"Meditations on a New Day"
- Date
- Monday, January 2, 2006, 10:00 - 11:00AM
- Presenter
- Star and Janette Muir
- Note
- All Church Sunday
- Description
- Affirming life and a new cycle. When and where do we bare our souls, stripping away our pretensions? And is it essential for a new beginning? Come explore what it means to experience a “new day,” and how vulnerability and strength are intertwined. Mediate, reflect, and make some promises to yourself on this new day of the new year.